Opening Sentence:I think I would call her the stranger who arrived to replace the other person we knew – we now have the both of them living with us in one person happily.
Synopsis:In this hard-hitting book, Michael Carr-Gregg focuses on the special trials of raising adolescent girls today: what to do when your previously quiet, loving daughter becomes a restless, rebellious stranger who behaves like a responsible adult one day and a vampish brat the next.

Part of the problem is that girls are becoming sexualised earlier, and their physical development is shooting ahead of their cognitive capacities. By the time they turn 13 they look like they’re ready for anything – but they’re not. Yet, argues Carr-Gregg, many parents are surrendering their authority and allowing their daughters to be fast-tracked into pseudo-adulthood. We appear to be losing it when it comes to parenting our girls and it’s time to grab back the reins.

This is a must-read for every parent with an adolescent daughter.
Genre:Parenting
Rating:@@@@
Pages:160
BCID:xxx-6746652
ISBN:978-0-14-300466-0
Year:2006
Format:Paperback
Comments:As the mother of a daughter on the cusp of adolescence, and two more daughters who will be teens in the years to come, I feel in dire need of tips on navigating these often turbulent waters. The Princess Bitchface Syndrome gives clear advice written in a friendly, humorous style that doesn’t feel as though you are being preached at. I particularly like the hypotheticals included for discussion with your daughter, and the extra resources tacked on the end. The only drawback is that it is very short and basic, but it makes a great starting point for dipping your toe in the water before moving on to further reading.

Related articles

• Cutting the cord (smh.com.au)
• Adolescents (hgera001.wordpress.com)
• Teenagers Need Curfews (revolutionarypaideia.com)
• Little Princess Syndrome (turningtwicetwenty.com)
• COLUMN – Teens do dumb things, and so did you (hollandsentinel.com)

Categories: Impressions, Miscellany

Tags: books, Carr-Gregg, child, family, Home, michael carr-gregg, Michael Usher, Parent, parenting, Teenager